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Update 1:45 p.m.: There's a new deadline for people who are still trying to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and Covered California: Friday at 8 p.m.

That's the newly extended enrollment grace period offered to consumers who were stymied in their attempts to meet the Dec. 23 deadline to sign up for health insurance that begins on Jan. 1, said James Scullary, a spokesman for Covered California.

But there's a catch: If you're among those scrambling to finish up, you'll have to do so by phone, Scullary said. That's because the Covered California website is not configured to take online applications for January policies past Monday's deadline.

Covered California announced the grace period Monday after it became clear that thousands of people were unable to get coverage because the website and call centers were overwhelmed.